No Rx for Detained Immigrants

On Sunday the Post launched a four-part investigative series that effectively if not intentionally combines two hot-button political issues: immigration and the state of health care. Either subject always generates strong views in the comments from our readers. Combined, they raise the usual immigration-related arguments pitting nativist sentiment about illegality against those looking for solutions and join that debate with questions on why we should be worried about detained immigrants not getting decent health care when it is difficult for many Americans to do so.

Reporters Dana Priest and Amy Goldstein tell the "story of life, death and often shabby medical care within an unseen network of special prisons for foreign detainees across the country" and say that "the medical neglect they endure is part of the hidden human cost of increasingly strict policies in the post-Sept. 11 United States and a lack of preparation for the impact of those policies..."

In the first two days they tell us specific stories about real people who are (or were) in detention, a population that does not get a lot of sympathy in the best of times. There is anger and bile in the comments and a several who write are unhappy about what they see as agenda journalism. Others express genuine sympathy and concern for the real people involved.

We'll begin with comments on the first article. Lavrat2000 said, "Well if these people wouldn't sneak across their borders this wouldn't happen to them. I really can't feel sorry for any of them... This is just another WAPO story about "poor" illegal immigrants..."

But karenmarieromero wrote, "...This treatment of these detainees has become and is a microcosm of our world. Do you not see...if this could happen to them, then it could happen to you?..."

harlepas said, "...We live in a nation where the average joe can't afford to pay for health care and when he goes into debt to pay it the government makes it impossible for him to pay it off. But, the illegal aliens that have no right to be here should be given health care for all the ailments they bring in from their depraved environments..."

cleancut77 wrote, "I'm curious how many American citizens don't have Health care? how many of them die each year? Forgive me for being callous but until this issue is addressed I could care less about immigrant law breakers not receiving top of the line health care. The WaPo pro-immigrant anti-American agenda has been exposed..."

nevercheck said, "Very Sad Story. We're preaching China about their Human Rights but we're not practicing it. When we treat other inhumanly or make a mistake, we blame on others."

But txengr wrote, "This could stop immediately - if the illegals would stop coming here. I blame them the most..."

arlingtonresident said, "The WaPo should compare detention conditions for foreigners here to detention conditions for Americans abroad. Chances are, the foreigners being held here are being treated immeasurably better than an American captured and detained abroad would be..."

rupwip wrote, "IMHO, In fairness to the millions of US Citizens who receive substandard or no health care at all, The Post is now obligated to write a piece on the state of health care across the US, as thorough as this article..."

tucanofulano said, "The cure for the problem is deportation within 24 hours of detention. The deportee can argue his case at the USA Embassy in the deportee's country of origin as a free person in his own country."

mikie44 wrote, "This is the same system of neglect that millions of bonified US citizens enjoy every day here in the Security States of America, where medical care is a privilage for those who are wealthy or well connected."

Ali4, said that problems for the subject of today's story "...began in February 2006 when she was sentenced to more than a year in jail for drug-possession. That alone is enough to make her deportable, old conviction for receiving stolen goods or not. If she was so concerned about her husband, about her life here, what in heck was she doing with drugs?"

EFDTN said, "My brother lost his job in April 2007 because his job was sent to China and lost his health insurance. Now his wife who has never smoked has lung cancer. She can't get adequate medical care. A neighbor lost his job to China as well. He is dying of heart disease and cannot afford treatment and is about to lose his house. They would welcome the Post doing a series on them."

maddyx wrote, "I wish to comment on the story, which is one of many that make me too often ashamed of my country, but find myself responding to the callousness of most of what other readers had to say."

DocChuck said [The subject of the article is] ...a criminal. Send her back to Korea. We must deal with our OWN citizens, not people like her. And don't let any more asians into this country, period."

amwg wrote, "If the US government takes anyone into custody, it is responsible for providing decent medical care. It's just humane to do so. I'm sorry to this family and all the other families in this series for the lack of adequate medical care."

snowy2 said, "These "pity" stories are getting on my nerves. How about a story of an elderly American unable to get medical treatment? There are plenty in this country. Or what about out children being provided substandard educations and medical care doled out with an eyedropper if parents can not pay?..."

daharbin observed that there is "Lots of grotesque nativist sentiment from some of the commenters here (which I'll bet is written either by teenage boys or bitter old men)..."

pmorlan1 wrote, "It's really quite interesting that those who preach the most about responsibility are the very same people who won't use their real names when they post comments on websites. Instead these "brave" people would rather hide their callous, ignorant comments behind their anonymous internet names."

To which cathyannve replied, "Hmmmm... like pmorlan1 is your real name?"

charleswheeler1 said, "It makes me extremely sad to read the comments by so many of my fellow Americans that support what our government is doing to this woman [the subject of the article] and to others like her...If the government fails to protect the least fortunate members that government has failed...completely. It is a government that has become, in the Christian sense, evil."

We'll close with greenberet1, who wrote, "despicable treatment of any human being
despicable"

jhbyer responded to bjk by writing "All these detainees have the freedom to walk out of those detention centers at will". If that's what you believe, it's flat out wrong."

I believe the "freedom to walk out of the detention centers at will" refered to the fact that by accepting their deportation, the illegal alien could be home (as in their REAL home in their OWN country) and free within very short time.

bjk, hi
You wrote "All these detainees have the freedom to walk out of those detention centers at will". If that's what you believe, it's flat out wrong. You don't think we'd build detention centers, just to provide free lodging, do you? Detainees aren't even allowed to meet with visitors. They can only talk to outsiders through video conference. You didn't read the articles. What did you read?

Journalists, white collar types, and academics will sympathize with immigration and accomodation, until the day that Spanish fluency or the right apellido become a requisite for their jobs, the way mastery of French is necessary in Montreal. Meanwhile, employers are happy to keep labor cheap, so lenient immigration policies and public subsidies of the education and health costs are OK. They consider the long term social costs to be as vague as global warming. There is no "society," only private net worth and shareholder value. Blue collar wages or votes don't matter squat. Besides, overweight junior would refuse to cut the grass or shovel the snow.

What a hate-filled country America is. Not everyone, of course, but a large enough segment of the population that it drives events. I lived the first 47 years of my life in the U.S., but comments by the haters make me glad I emigrated three years ago. Australis treats migrants, even the illegal ones, better than America. There are failings, but at least society has the humanity to be ashamed when they're revealed, not proud of its mistreatment.

All of these detainees have the freedom to walk out of those detention centers at will. They can go home any time they like. By the way, if "nativist" means that you think the interests of citizens should be put ahead of foreigners, then nativism describes about 99% of US policies. Maybe instead of nativism you should just call it citizenism.

I think we are overlooking the fact that these people came into our country illegally and are there for criminals. Most were sick before they got her. Why are we responsible for them when meny of our own countrymen lack proper healty care. Its time we started worying about our people and not the rest of the world.
If they need medical care, allow them to return home immediately to receive it.

RUPWIP (above) offers the good suggestion that WaPo now devote equal space to the same problems endured by Americans. For at least two reasons, this won't happen. First, it's been covered to the extent that you could fill a room with the reports, which includes dozens of books and two documentaries, e.g. "Sicko". The gift of this series is that it's all news to the public. Second, it's one thing to focus on a problem that can be resolved by existing agencies, whose management can be expected to respond to the embarrassment by doing what they're already paid to do and do it right. Aannnnd, it's a whole other kettle of rotten fish to focus on a problem that can be only be resolved by depriving the most powerful American lobbies of their cherished right to take their killer cut.

Those who question our need to care about this reality newly revealed by WaPo, when working Americans can't afford health care, or worse, are locked up overseas, mistake related problems for competitors. The common thread is bad government. There's no shortage of federal funds. Our govt spends $8000 per minute in Iraq. Nor is the problem, in this instance, that illegals won't leave. The problem is our govt locked them up and they're dying. It's a moral problem. We're short of morally responsive, competent federal leadership. Some detainees have their own insurance from jobs and families, but OUR, yes, OUR Dept of Homeland Security will not allow them to pay for their own care. Nor can they leave. To blame them, as some do, makes no sense. It's our govt keeping them here on our dime and dragging us down morally - not them.

These (ICE) raids are finally putting pressure on parasite employers. More American patriots are calling (ICE) hotline to be whistle blowers when they are fully aware of suspicious activity, when it comes to the illegal immigration invsion. We can strengthen immigration laws with the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088), it enacts enforcement only power, and will cause the exodus of illegal aliens by self-deportation or 'ATTRITION." Read the unsuppressed truth at NUMBERSUSA.